Visit Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris

Auvers is an hour's train ride from Paris Gare du Nord station. Van Gogh went to live there on 20 May 1890 and died there on 29 July. He chose this village as his residence because Doctor Gachet lived there. Doctor Gachet specialised in mental disorders and was known for his work with artists. He was an amateur artist himself.

The Office de tourisme (Tourist Office) is situated near the station.There, you can get a free map of the village, showing the notable places. The café where he rented a room, Dr Gachet's house, the cemetery with the graves of both Vincent and Theo van Gogh. Everything is within walking distance.
The highlights are:

• Café Auberge Ravoux. Visit Van Gogh's room and have a drink in the café downstairs.
• Chateau d'Auvers. This beautiful castle dates back to the 17th century. It is currently undergoing renovation and is closed to the public. It will reopen on 7 October 2023. However, you can stroll through the beautiful gardens in the vicinity of the castle.

• A walk to the cemetery. You will also pass the cornfields of the painting 'Wheatfield with Crows'.
• Musée de l'Absinthe. This museum shows what cafés looked like during the Belle Époque, the period in which Van Gogh lived. At that time, absinthe was a very popular drink among poets and artists. The drink was famous and notorious for its high alcohol content. The museum has old exhibits that show what role absinthe used to play.
• Maison Atelier Daubigny. The museum is dedicated to the painter Charles-François Daubigny. He was a great role model for Vincent Van Gogh. Daubigny became known as a painter of river landscapes. He sailed on the Oise and Seine rivers in his boat 'le Botin'. Daubigny died 10 years before Van Gogh came to live in the village.
• Tree roots. On the last day of his life, Van Gogh painted tree roots. This painting is part of the permanent collection of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. It was only on 28 July 2020 that people discovered exactly where he painted it. The roots are near café Auberge Ravoux.
  More information on the 'tree roots'

• The church at Auvers. The painting "The church at Auvers" is one of Vincent van Gogh's most famous works. The painting was made in June 1890. After his death, the funeral was not allowed to be held in this church. The reason was probably his suicide and the fact that he was a Protestant. He was laid out in café Auberge Ravoux and from there taken to the cemetery.

All European locations and museums

There is a partnership between heritage sites related to Van Gogh's life and art. There is a beautiful, comprehensive site with all the sites in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and London and a calendar where you can find all the dates of exhibitions.
All Van Gogh locations and dates

For train and book enthusiasts

This has nothing to do with Van Gogh, but is really worth a visit if you love trains or books, or both. The building next to the station houses an antiquarian bookshop. It is partly in the building and partly in the carriages connected to it. These are old postal coaches. Inside you can still see the walls where the mail was sorted with the chairs where the postal workers sat.

The selection of books, comics and magazines is immense and prices are very reasonable.